Love Those Chicks

May 12, 2000|By JACLYN TRANCHIDA Spanish River High

DIXIE CHICKS: Wide Open Spaces (Sony)

For all of those who don't "listen" to country music, have I got a CD for you. Even though most teens will deny it to the end, I know you all enjoy a little Shania Twain or Garth Brooks once in a while.

As for myself, I stumbled onto country music during a family vacation in Montana, and I've been hooked ever since. My favorite country group happens to be the dynamic trio known as the Dixie Chicks. I was so impressed with their new album, Fly, that I went out and got their previous CD, Wide Open Spaces, which won two CMA awards and has sold more than 6 million copies. And I like it even better.

Wide Open Spaces is an inventive compilation of love songs by the Dixie Chicks. Some are slow, romantic but heartbreaking ballads of yearning and others have an upbeat twist to them. It is the kind of music you turn up in your car and sing as loud as you can.

I have never been so impressed and entertained by such harmonies as the ones that Natalie Maines, Emily Erwin and Martie Siedel create. To top off their beautiful voices, sisters Martie and Emily accompany lead singer Natalie with polished country-rock sounds on banjo and fiddle. It's been a long time since a female group has risen to the top of the contemporary country music charts so rapidly.

Among the best songs is the title track, which portrays the desire of a young girl to run free and learn from her own mistakes. I find it particularly relevant to my age group as we all prepare ourselves for what lies ahead after we graduate from high school (it's scary).

Another one of my favorites is the first song that hit No. 1 from this album, I Can Love You Better. The vocals on this track are unstoppable and the harmonies rich and full. This is the type of song that I just enjoy listening to and singing along with (even if I can't hit all the notes).

Finally, my favorite song from any of their albums is There's Your Trouble. I was kind of disappointed that this song did not receive as much acclaim as some of their other cuts. This is one of the sassiest and coolest songs I have ever heard. The tune is unforgettable and the hook will ring in your mind for days.

Since its explosive release in 1998, Wide Open Spaces has been topping the charts and changing minds. With their funky fresh clothes and devilish twang, the Dixie Chicks have broken the traditional cowgirl mold of the female country artist.

Trust me, these three ladies are no Southern belles. With their album going quadruple-platinum within the first year, the innovative mix of "style, sass and twang" is paving new roads for the future of women in country music.